These Hallowed Halls Hold the Secrets
by genevaaaa
Summary: This is MY OWN twist to Harry Potter. The story line goes with the actual series but I've added a few characters of my own to spice up the story. Read and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry finally left platform 9 ¾ with many hopeful first years on board, all excited to find out what houses they'd join, what classes they'd have, wondering if the stories of their parents and older siblings were true. They leaned out of the windows, waving to their families as they left, all except one. Harry Potter, a young boy of 11 with messy jet black hair and bright green eyes, sat alone in a cabin on the train as he wondered what Hogwarts was like. He had never been exposed to magic fully before in his lifetime for all he could remember. He was wondering if it would be hard, when a young boy with red hair and a face full of freckles opened the door to his cabin.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked as he walked in, looking around the cabin to find Harry alone. Harry shook his head no and the boy took a seat across from him. "I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasley."

"Harry, Harry Potter." They shook hands and Ron stared at Harry with astonishment. "What?"

"Is it true then?" Ron asked, "The- the scar?"

"Oh," Harry laughed. "Yeah." And he lifted up his hair and showed Ron the lightning bolt scar that had been upon Harry's head for as long as he could remember.

"Whoa." Was all that Ron could say. They talked all the way up to Hogwarts, Ron about his large family and how he was the youngest boy out of 6 with a younger sister that would join then in the next year. And Harry about his horrible Aunt and Uncle and ungodly cousin Dudley. They met a young girl, with big brown eyes and even bigger brown hair named Hermione, who seemed exceptionally smart for a girl of just 11 years old.

When they finally reached the castle, they were waiting to be sorted when a young boy, with slick blonde hair and vibrant blue-green eyes approached Harry.

"So the rumors are true then," He said loudly, grabbing everyone's attention. "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." A crowd of whispers erupted among the future students as the boy walked over to Harry. "This is Crabbe, and Goyle. And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ron snickered as he heard this. Draco turned to him at once. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours," He looked Ron up and down, "Red hair, and a hand me down robe, you must be a Weasley. You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." Draco held his hand out to Harry but he declined.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks." Harry said, looking over at Ron and insulting Draco. Draco scoffed and turned on his heel.

"Now, now Draco, don't go and get you knickers all up in a twist." Said a smooth voice from out behind the students. Up walked a girl, with long, straight, jet black hair, emerald green eyes, and a wicked smile that could turn any head. She placed her hand on his shoulder and soothed him down from his tension. "I'm Abelinda, Abelinda Valentine." She said only to let them know who she was and nothing more. She turned back to Draco and continued to soothe him.

"That doesn't seem like the lot to mess with." Ron whispered to Harry. "Any of them, especially the girl."

"If you don't mind saying that a bit louder so the rest of us could hear what you're saying Weasley, it would be greatly appreciated." Abelinda said, Ron turned and saw her standing straight in front of him. He gulped and she smiled a sly, small smile and clicked her tongue. "Don't go and start messing around with the wrong sort Potter, they can get you into trouble with their words before their actions get you anywhere." Her smile grew a bit more wicked and walked back over to Draco. He had a cocky look on his face and she had her hands running through his slick blonde hair. The pair of them looked as evil as they acted, and Harry knew that the two would be a pair that would be a problem with him the rest of the school year.

Suddenly Professor McGonagall appeared behind them all to take them in to have the sorting ceremony. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were placed in Gryffindor while Draco and Abelinda were placed in Slytherin.

"There's not a witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin." Ron said to Harry as he watched Abelinda walk over to the Slytherin table with pride. She sat down next to Draco, who greeted her with a smile, along with the rest of the table, who was in an uproar of cheers as she sat down.

"She seems to be a great attribute to the Slytherin house." Harry said as he looked over towards her. She still had that sickly malicious smile playing on her lips as she looked up to him.

"Apparently, her family was alongside you-know-who as long as he was in power, but when he went down; her family was one of the few that never gave up on him. They still think he's out there somewhere, just hiding somewhere in the depths of the woods in a cave somewhere. Her family, along with herself, is practically dark wizard royalty. They're also one of the richest families in the wizarding community, along with the Malfoy's. Her dad's the head of the Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic too." Ron explained, while Harry still couldn't take his eyes off of her and noticed a change in her expression when she heard the name "Calysta Valentine" called to be placed. He followed her and turned his head suddenly to see a pretty girl with light brown hair and crystal blue eyes placed in Gryffindor house. Harry cheered with the rest of his table and looked back to Abelinda. She had a look of disgust as the girl sat down a few seats from Harry. He noticed as Draco leaned over towards her and she just laughed at what he whispered in her ear. She then noticed that Harry was still looking at her and she winked at him, that evil grin back upon her lips. Harry turned quickly and finished his night and when it was time for bed, he left with the rest of the Gryffindor House, not a thought of Abelinda on his mind again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"It's good to see you again Abelinda." Draco said, as the Slytherin House entered the dungeons to their common room and their dormitories. He and Abelinda had been friends for as long as Draco could remember and nothing had changed that.

"You too Draco. How have you been?" She asked, sliding onto the black leather couch that faced the fireplace. She closed her eyes and laid her head back as he sat down beside her and she moved over and laid her head on his chest. They were always the closest of friends, like brother and sister, and Abelinda felt that Draco was the only one that she was comfortable around in this forsaken school.

"Well, father has been having problems at work and mother never lays off of my back when it comes to school, telling me that I have to make sure that I do well and make good marks. It's like they think that I won't have all of the teacher's wrapped around my finger like I do with every other adult that I know." Draco laughed at the thought of actually having to try while he was at school.

"Well, my sweet, do you not want to become an Auror when you leave here? Because I know that was your goal when we were younger." Abelinda said, looking up at Draco as he remembered when they were smaller, running around his father's back yard with their parents wands pretending to be Auror's and catching every dark wizard they could find that they put bushes and benches in place of for the time being until they were grown, not knowing then, that the dark wizards that they wanted to hunt, were their families closest and oldest friends. She laughed as she too remembered their silly dreams of when they were mere children. "Your mother knows that you're going to have all of the teachers wrapped around your finger, as they will be with me. She just wants to seem like the typical parent of a student here. I'm not sure why, but I guess it's just one of those things to fit in with the norm of society." Abelinda laid her head back on Draco's chest as they watched the fire burn bright until it finally dimmed and the two parted ways for bed.

Harry and Ron entered the Gryffindor common room and looked around in amazement.

"It's quite a beauty on the eye isn't it?" Harry looked to each side of him and Ron and there, beside them, were two red headed twins, looking around the common room, smiles big and bright on their faces. "Hi, I'm Fred." The twin to Harry's left said, holding out his hand, and Harry reluctantly shaking it. "And I'm George." The other doing the same as his twin.

"They're my brothers." Ron said, giving Harry a sympathetic look for his surprise. "They're third years here and a pain in my neck at home." He laughed as they put him in a headlock and carried him to the couch in front of the fire. Harry sat down beside Ron and sank into the soft and comfortable couches they had in the Common room. They sat there and looked around the room and talked about what was to come when a girl came down from the girl's dormitories and sat down in one of the comfortable chairs beside the couch.

"It's Calysta, isn't it?" Harry remembered her from the sorting and the evil look that Abelinda gave her as she was sorted into the Gryffindor House.

She nodded. "Calysta Valentine."

Harry stood up and held out his hand to her, "Harry Potter, and this is Ron Weasley." He said, nodding to Ron, who was almost passed out on the couch.

"I know who you are, I think everyone here does." She smiled slightly as she shook his hand.

"I've come to figure that out recently." He said, laughing.

"Did you say your name was Valentine?" Ron said, sitting up from his half-slumber.

"Yes?" She said, looking at the red headed boy curiously.

"As in, Abelinda Valentine?" He said, half mumbled really.

Calysta sighed as he put it together. "Yes, Abelinda's my cousin. Unfortunately that is."

"How could two completely different people be related?" Harry asked, yet didn't know why once he thought of himself and his family that he lived with before he came here.

"Our dad's are twin brothers. But while their looks are the same, their personalities couldn't be more different. Her dad went and followed You-Know-Who, while mine rebelled and joined the ranks of those who fought against him." She smiled as she said this, "My dad actually knew your parents Harry, and I believe yours too Ron." She laughed as Ron only waved a hand to her, being half asleep on the couch, almost snoring now.

"I think its best we head off to bed." Harry said, looking at Ron on the couch. Calysta nodded and helped Harry stand Ron up on his feet.

"I'll see you two in the morning." She said as she waved and headed back up towards the girls dormitories. Harry nodded and he walked Ron up to their room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning the students reported to the Great Hall to receive their schedules for the year. Harry and Ron noticed that they had all of their classes with together. They high fived in excitement and Hermione and Calysta walked over to the two, shaking their heads.

"What?" The boys said in unison.

"All of the first years have classes together." Hermione said matter-of-factly, laughing at the boys.

"The only bad thing is," Calysta said, her gaze drifting over to another group of students, "All Gryffindor first years have all of their classes with Slytherin first years." Harry turned to see where she was looking and noticed Draco and Abelinda looking at their schedules and noticed this small fact too. Draco had a disgusted look on his face, while Abelinda seemed oddly pleased. She looked over at Calysta and her sickly breathtaking smile appeared on her face once more.

She and Draco walked over past the group of Gryffindor first years and as they passed Harry and the rest of the group, Abelinda turned her attention to Calysta. "See you in class cousin." She said slyly, her smile becoming more malicious as she walked away. Harry watched her walk away as Draco placed his hand on her back as they walked to their first class together.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked Calysta because neither of the two boys was brave enough to ask her.

"Ever since we were kids she's loved torturing me. We were inseparable at first, practically the best of friends. And then she met _him_ and we haven't gotten along since. I think it has something to do with the fact that our fathers hate each other and don't claim the other to be alive or know of the other. I guess we just got their hatred passed down to us." Calysta said, not taking her eyes off of where Abelinda exited the Great Hall with Draco.

"What are you children doing standing around?" Professor McGonagall appeared behind them and rushed them off to their first class, which just so happened to be hers. They sat down at a table that fit the four of them and noticed that Abelinda and Draco were sitting in the row right behind them. Calysta shrunk a little in her seat as her cousin's smile grew bigger on her face as she noticed who had just sat down in front of her. Calysta heard Abelinda whisper something in Draco's ear and her face turned red. Hermione noticed this and passed over a note for her to read.

_What's wrong?_ It read.

Calysta sighed and replied. _It's Abelinda._ She wrote and she passed the note back to Hermione.

_What did she do this time?_

_I overheard her whispering to Draco and heard her say to him that she was surprised that I even made it into the school. That I was a poor witch when I was little and couldn't even produce simple spells._

She passed the note back to Hermione, who was just about to reply, when Professor McGonagall stepped up beside her and looked down at the note. "There will be no note passing in my class ladies." She said sternly. And with a flick of her wand, the note burst into flames.

Walking out of their first class, Hermione walked closely with Calysta, and quickly away from Harry and Ron, who were just inches from Abelinda and Draco. "So did she really say that you were a poor witch?" Hermione said in hushed tones. Calysta nodded and almost had tears in her eyes. Hermione wrapped her arm around Calysta's shoulder and suddenly, Calysta felt another arm on the other side. She looked up and saw Harry, with Ron following loyally beside him, a huge smile on his face, with his arm wrapped around her. "Whatever it is," He said, looking down at her, "She's not worth crying over Calysta. The fact that she's with that lot back there just proves that you are the better cousin of the two." Calysta smiled and laid her head on Harry's shoulder as they all walked to their next class with the Slytherin first years, flying.

This class was a little more eventful than the first when Harry and Draco flew off on their broomsticks, against all rules that their professor had told them mind you not, and fought in the air over Neville Longbottom's remembrall that he dropped when his broomstick went haywire and took him to the top of the castle and dropped him in mid-air. When the two came down, Harry with the remembrall in hand, Professor McGonagall stormed out of the castle and took Harry into the building.

"Ha! Potter gets in trouble, and I come off Scott free. Told you I had these teachers around my finger." Draco said smugly, looking at Abelinda, who was playing nonchalantly with her nails. She nodded and looked up to her cousin.

"So, Callie, you seemed a bit… oh, what's the word, upset, in McGonagall's class this morning. Why so down cousin?" She said with a small smile hiding on her lips. Draco smirked behind her and looked over at Calysta, who looked as if she would die right then and there and be perfectly happy with it.

"You know exactly what upset me earlier Bell. You can't pretend like you didn't do anything either." Calysta said, glaring at her cousin, who was currently running her hands through her long dark hair.

"Oh, I know what upset you, I just wanted you to say it yourself." Abelinda smiled and continued with her long hair.

"Well then, there's no need for pointless questions now is there?" Calysta said, holding her head high.

Abelinda clicked her tongue and looked back at her cousin. "Now, now, no need to get testy Callie. I was only asking a simple question, is that such a crime?" She smiled her malicious smile and all of the boys around her seemed to be in awe.

"It is when you make it a point to make your own family miserable." Calysta spat.

Abelinda got close to Calysta so that they were the only two that heard their conversation. "Now you know good and well that you and your family are no longer family to mine. Our fathers severed their ties years ago when your incompetent father decided to join those who weren't loyal." She said in a harsh whisper.

"Well then I guess we know where our loyalties lay Abelinda." Calysta said, glaring at her cousin intently.

"I guess so." Abelinda glared right back at her. The two quickly moved away from each other and walked back to their group of friends, everyone looking at them, confused as to what happened between the two girls.

When class ended Hermione and Calysta walked hurriedly to their common room with Ron and Harry following quickly behind them. "Calysta, slow down!" The boys yelled behind her. She finally turned and looked at the two, "I'm sorry guys, she just gets me worked up, but after today, I'm finished with her." She said, looking over the balcony that they were currently standing on and looking down at Abelinda, who looked up and shot an evil look towards her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Calysta and Abelinda steered clear of each other as much as they possibly could outside of their classes and they were keeping up a good job at it until they ran into each other outside of the girl's lavatory a few weeks after the Christmas break.

"Watch where you're going Valentine." Abelinda said coldly, glaring at Calysta.

"It's nice to know that you tell yourself what to do once you've made a mistake Abelinda." Calysta smiled wickedly as she passed around Abelinda.

"I was talking to you, you incompetent twit." Abelinda spat.

"Hm, never would have guessed that." Calysta smiled to herself as she walked away from Abelinda.

"Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you Calysta!" Abelinda yelled as her cousin walked down the hallway. Calysta smiled at herself and continued to walk until a spell whizzed by her head. She spun around barely missed the second spell the Abelinda flew at her.

"What has gotten into you Bell! Are you going insane?" Calysta yelled at her cousin.

Abelinda smiled a vicious smile at Calysta and crossed her arms and walked slowly towards her. "No, not at all Callie, I just needed to get your attention. This just seemed to be the easiest way to do so."

"By almost striking me with a spell? I think not Abelinda. If the professors heard of this-"

"Oh, but they won't, will they?" Abelinda's sly smile grew as she got closer.

"If I have something to do with this, they will." Calysta turned on her heel and headed down the stairs, away from her cousin.

"Get back here when I'm talking to you Calysta Valentine!" Abelinda yelled after her cousin, running down the staircase.

Calysta stopped in her tracks and turned to face Abelinda. "Why? So I can just get tormented even more than usual by my evil brat of a cousin? I think not Bell." She turned around once more and headed down the stairs.

"No, Callie, wait! I have to talk to you about something." Abelinda said softly, walking slowly after her cousin.

Calysta slowed her pace and turned her head over her shoulder, "Walk and talk Bell."

Abelinda caught up with Calysta and looked at her cousin softly. "It's about my dad." She said in hushed tones to her cousin. "He's in trouble, and the only person my parents think can help him is… Well… Your father." She said, looking at her cousin reluctantly, hoping for a positive expression on her cousins' face.

"What kind of trouble?" Calysta stopped in the middle of the passageway they had just entered and turned towards Abelinda.

"Big trouble. Dad thinks that if it gets any worse, he may be, well… Killed." Abelinda gasped out the last word.

"Killed?" Calysta said in shocked tones. "What the hell has he gotten himself into Bell?" Granted she didn't like her cousin, or her aunt and uncle, but they were her family and if they were in trouble, and they needed help, she should ask her parents for whatever they could contribute. She hoped her father wasn't as cold hearted as her uncle had became in the past few years.

"Well, there were some men from the ministry at the house over Christmas break and I overheard them talking to mum and dad. It wasn't pretty either Callie. They threatened him, telling him that if he didn't give up anything he had to them, then there would be severe consequences." Abelinda hesitated for a second before she continued. "I can only imagine what they mean when they say 'severe consequences'." She said quickly.

"That doesn't mean that he's going to be killed Bell. It could mean that if he cooperates, then he just might go to prison." Calysta said calmly to her cousin.

"Prison! As in Azkaban Prison! I think not! Please Callie, write your dad and ask him to help? Please, I'm begging you!" Abelinda grabbed the front of Calysta's robes and was almost to tears.

_Sure, Calysta hated her cousin, but did she hate her enough to let her own uncle go to prison?_

Calysta finally decided to write her dad, "I don't think he'll go for it though Bell. They do still hate each other." She sighed, looking over at her cousin as they watched the owl fly out of the window.

"But they're **brothers**, that has to account for something, shouldn't it?" Abelinda said in exasperated tones.

"I'm not sure Bell. But we'll see soon enough. I'll let you know when dad writes me back."

Abelinda nodded, "Alright Callie." The two started walking separate ways to join their friends when Abelinda stopped and turned. "And Callie?" Calysta turned and looked at her cousin. "Thank you." Abelinda smiled at Calysta.

Calysta nodded, but didn't return the smile. "It's only because you're family Bell. Don't think that this changes anything." She said, her face stern.

"Of course." Abelinda said, gaining her composure and stood straight. "See you around cousin." And her wicked smile appeared back on her face. And the two parted ways.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Calysta!" Hermione yelled down the corridor, chasing after her friend. "Callie, wait!" She continued running until she caught up to Calysta. "Calysta," She spun her friend around to face her. "What in the world is wrong with you?" She gasped, catching her breath.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I'm just busy. I'll talk to you later." And at that Calysta walked off, leaving her friend to stare after her as she left her in the corridor.

Later Hermione caught up with Ron and Harry, and she explained to them what was going on with their friend. She was worried, really worried. "What if something's wrong with her? She won't talk to me, and she always talks to me. I'm worried about her Harry." Hermione was almost to tears as she talked to the two boys who were also concerned with their friend.

Abelinda walked into the Slytherin common room later on that evening and was heading straight to her room when Draco stopped her. "What has gotten into you Bell?" He said, making sure she couldn't get up the stairs.

"Nothing Draco, I swear. Don't worry about me." She tried to get around him, but he wouldn't let her go. "Come on Draco, let me go to bed." She pushed until he finally gave in, realizing she wasn't going to give up when she pulled out her wand. He watched her as she went up the stairs. He had no idea what had gotten into her. She usually told him everything and always confided in him. Something had to be wrong, and he was worried.

"Did anyone follow you?" Calysta said as Abelinda walked into the hidden corridor on the fourth floor. Their newest hiding spot after Hermione almost figured out the previous one.

"No. I made sure to shake Draco from my side just in time to get here." Abelinda said, checking her back to make sure no one had actually followed her. They couldn't risk getting caught, not now, not after everything they had already accomplished.

"Good, cause I'm almost done."

"Really? That's great." Abelinda said with an excitement that hadn't been in her voice for months now.

"Yes, but you're not going to like the results of what's going to happen though." Calysta said, looking at her cousin dead in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Abelinda said, worried.

"You're going to black out. You're not going to know what's happening to you for at least a minute until you regain consciousness. When you do, you won't know where you are. You have to regain your surroundings before you do anything." Calysta looked at her cousin once more. "Promise me that you won't do anything stupid once you've taken the potion?"

"I promise."

"Alright. Well, prepare for the worst tasting potion you will ever drink in your life." Calysta handed Abelinda a small vile of a dark liquid with vapors so strong Abelinda almost got sick at the smell of it.

"I have to drink this?" She said, almost vomiting at the stench.

"Yes. If you want to see what's going on back home, you have to." Calysta pushed the vile back towards Abelinda.

"Bottoms up." And at that, Abelinda drink the potion. The room went dark, she didn't know where she was. She knew to remain calm though, and wait until she came to. Suddenly, she awoke. She looked around and saw her father, head down with a bottle of rum sitting in front of him. He looked unclean, like he hadn't taken a shower in days and his hair was stringy and dirty. She stood up and started walking over to him when she heard voices. She jumped and hid behind the pantry and listened intently to the voices.

"You can't help him Lucius. He won't move." Abelinda heard her mother's voice, scared and quick, talking to none other than Lucius Malfoy.

"Don't worry dear Margurite. I'll figure something out." She heard the drawl of Mr. Malfoy and the scraping of a chair as he sat down and the shuffle of feet as her mother hurried out of the room. "Carline. You need to get out of this. What is happening to you?"

"He's coming back Lucius. He's coming back." Carline Valentine said, with pure fear in his voice.

"What?"

"I know of it Lucius. He came to me, two weeks ago, in a dream. He's coming back and there's nothing we can do to stop it. He knows that we gave up on him Lucius, he knows everything." And at that, Carline broke down into tears. Abelinda was itching to hear more, but the second she was about to come out from behind the pantry, she woke up in the corridor, her cousin half asleep across from her against the wall.

Calysta jumped up at the sound of her cousin coming back to consciousness. "Well, what did you see?" She said, looking at Abelinda eagerly.

Abelinda looked at Calysta, and she broke down and cried.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The weeks flew by after that fateful night Calysta and Abelinda had in the corridor. Abelinda could no longer look at her cousin without wanting to cry, remembering the sight she saw of her father. She also could not look at Draco Malfoy anymore without breaking down, remembering that his father was in the room with hers. All of this made her become solitary, alone, and secluded from the rest of the student's in the school. She felt as if no one else in the world could feel her pain. She was heartbroken, torn apart by the mere thought of her family and friends that were connected to that scene. She never wrote her mother back anymore, she ignored any letter she received from her father, and you could forget if she wrote to him either. She pushed everyone she knew away, believe that if she pushed the people that brought back the thoughts away, then the thoughts themselves would go away, and it worked, for a while. But when she sat alone, in her room down in the Slytherin dungeons, she couldn't suppress her thoughts, her memories, and she sat, in her four poster bed, and cried. This happened every single night and it killed her because she had no one to talk to. She had pushed everyone she loved away and she no longer wanted to be near them.

"Calysta!" A voice called from behind Calysta as she was walking back to her common room after supper. She turned to see Draco Malfoy running towards her and she stopped a look of surprise on her face.

"Draco? What do you want?" She said sharply, giving him a stern look.

"It's about Abelinda." He said, catching her attention. "Can we talk?" He asked a pleading look on his face. She nodded and he pulled her into a hidden corridor off to the side.

"What's wrong with Bell?" Calysta asked, worried for her cousin who hadn't spoken to her in months.

"I don't know. That's why I'm coming to you." Draco said, leaning against the wall behind him. He looked worn out, tired, and as if he was stressed out. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor, putting his head in his hands.

"What do you mean?" Calysta walked over towards Draco, sitting beside him on the floor.

"She won't talk to me. She hasn't in weeks, months even. She's never done this as long as I can remember, and I've known her practically my whole life." He stopped and looked at Calysta. "You're her cousin, and I know that a few weeks back you two were up to something. She wouldn't tell me what, which is what triggered my worry about her, but I know something was up. She hasn't spoken to me since she went to meet up with you one night after we were supposed to be in bed." He looked at Calysta dead in the eyes and tried to see if he would get anything from her. Nothing. "What happened that night?" He pleaded. Calysta looked at Draco, noticed that his eyes, his pretty blue-green eyes, were full of worry, worry that she knew part of the cause of. She hesitated, looking down at the floor beneath her. "Please Calysta," Draco grabbed Calysta's hands and held them in his own. "Please tell me what happened. She's my best friend and I feel like I've lost the one person I care about most in my life. Please tell me?" He begged Calysta. She broke.

"Bell had a feeling that something was wrong with her father. She didn't really know what, or why, she just knew something was wrong. So one night, we came to a hidden corridor, and she took a potion that transported her mind to wherever he father was. When she came back to consciousness, she broke down and cried in my arms. I don't know what she saw when she saw her father, she refused to tell me. But I know that ever since that night she hasn't talked to me either. I'm sorry Draco, I had no idea that she'd shut you out too. I thought she was only shutting me out because I was there when it happened and I'm the easiest person for her to hate. But now that I know she's not only shutting me out too, I know something's up." Calysta sighed and looked a Draco.

"We have to do something Calysta. We just have to." Draco said softly, still holding Calysta's hands. Calysta nodded at him.

"We'll figure something out Draco. We can't let her go through whatever she's going through alone."

Draco nodded at Calysta and stood up. Calysta followed suit and walked towards the opening of the corridor. Draco stopped and looked at Calysta. "Thank you." He said, and he hugged her, catching her by surprise. She hugged him back. "You're welcome." She whispered in the hug. "You know," Draco said, once he pulled back from the hug. "You're not as bad as Abelinda put you up to be. Especially since you're one of Potter's friends." He laughed, nudging her arm.

"Yeah, you're not too bad either, being a Slytherin prat." She smiled, nudging him back. The two of them left the corridor and went their separate ways.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Weeks after Draco and Calysta met up in the hidden corridor, Draco was walking down into the Slytherin common room when he spotted Abelinda lying on the leather couch in front of the fire place. "Bell?" He said softly, as not to startle her. She sat up on the couch and turned to look at her long time friend, standing behind her. He had a sad look on his face that played with the worry in his eyes. He slowly walked over towards her and stopped when he got to the couch. She slid over a bit to let him sit down beside her. He looked at her, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, the way her hair had started to go awry around her face, and the way her whole face showed the deprivation of sleep she had been getting. He held his arms out to her and she reluctantly lay in his arms, and she broke down crying in an instant.

After Abelinda finally calmed down, she looked up at Draco and smiled softly. "Thank you so much Draco. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I don't understand Bell. You've been without me for the past two months. You wouldn't talk to me, look at me, you practically ran when you would hear me coming no matter where we were. How can you say you don't know what you'd do without me when you showed me these past few months that you can be without me?" Draco said, hurt playing on his words.

"But that's the thing Draco. I couldn't be without you. It's killed me every single day that I haven't spoken to you. You're my best friend and you have no idea how much pain I've been in without you by my side each and every day." Abelinda breathed. She had been so tired that she barely had the energy to speak.

"I have no idea how much pain you've been in? Well of course I don't Bell. You wouldn't let me know how much pain you've been in. You know how much it's killed me not having the one person I care about in this damn school with me?" Draco stood up from the couch, staring down at Bell with hurt in his eyes. "No, you wouldn't know because you haven't been there, and that's not my fault either. You refused to let me in when you were hurt, and in pain, and in trouble. I didn't even know what was going on with you until I asked Calysta what the hell was wrong with you."

Abelinda looked up at Draco with complete disbelief. "You talked to Calysta? Are you serious? She said she wouldn't tell anyone. That lying little-"

"Stop Bell, she had no one else to turn to. You wouldn't talk to anyone and she needed to talk to someone about what the hell was going on with you and she knew she could trust me because you were doing the same damn thing to me. Your cousin isn't as bad as you put her out to be. Seriously Bell, give her some credit. She did go out of her way to make sure you figured out what was going on with your family when she didn't have to do that. Especially with the way you treat her." Draco started walking around the common room, looking at Abelinda.

"Are you seriously defending her?" Abelinda stood up from the couch, walking away from Draco.

"Yes, I am. She went out on a limb and stuck her neck out for you and what do you show for it? Refusing to let her help you through this. I get you ignoring me; you don't want to involve me or anything in it. But refusing your own cousin? The only family you have in this school? Why would you do that Bell?"

"Because I can't look at her, or you or anyone that has anything to do or has any connection with what's going on with my father without breaking down and crying like a pathetic child. You have no idea what it's done to me Draco." The tears started to flow as she was speaking; Draco rushed over to her as soon as he noticed this.

Draco held her in his arms and rocked her back to sleep. When she was fully asleep, he took her up to her dormitory and laid her in bed. Once she was fully in bed, he walked from the Slytherin dungeons and down to the Great Hall. He had just turned the corner when he bumped into someone going the opposite direction. "Watch where you're going you impotent tw-" He started, but then, noticing who he had run into, stopped and stepped back. "Calysta, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." He smiled, noticing her standing in front of him. He looked down and saw her books strewn all over the corridor and suddenly reached down to get them for her. He started for her papers when a hand appeared on his, he looked up and Calysta had gotten down to eye level with him. She smiled and shook her head.

"There's no need for that Draco, I can handle my books just fine. But thank you for the consideration." She smiled and gathered her things and straightened up and looked at him. "Where were you headed that got you so distracted from your surroundings anyway?"

Draco looked around and double checked that there was no one else around them to hear their conversation. "I just left Abelinda. She finally spoke to me again."

"Did she? How did you accomplish that?" Calysta said with surprise.

"I ran into her in the common room and she finally broke down. But the downside to all of this was that we got into a fight because of it." Draco sighed and sat down on the steps beside him.

Calysta sat down next to him and looked at him questioningly. "How on earth did you get into a fight with Bell because she broke down?"

Draco looked at Calysta and told her all that happened in the Slytherin common room and when he finished, he worried that he had done something wrong and that Calysta would have been on Abelinda's side after the story, yet, Calysta just sighed and looked at Draco. "My cousin does have a way of making everything someone else's fault doesn't she?" She shook her head and laughed at the thought of Abelinda getting mad at Draco for her not speaking to him.

"Yeah, I guess she does. But I've never really minded it. She always knew what to do and how to get us out of trouble when we were kids so I never questioned it." Draco smiled.

"Well, you're just going to have to break out of that shell you've been buried so deeply in Mr. Malfoy." Calysta nudged Draco with her shoulder and smiled at him. He returned the smile and they sat at the end of the stairs until it was time for them to return to their dormitories. Calysta started heading towards the Gryffindor tower when Draco called for her. She turned to see him running towards her. "Draco, what are you-?"

Draco cut her off mid sentence, grabbing her by the shoulders, and pulling her closely. He kissed her, soft and gently. She gasped, surprised by his random spur of the moment kiss, but she fell into the embrace, kissing him back. When they finally pulled away, Calysta was speechless, grasping for words. But before she could get any out, Draco was gone, walking down the corridor towards the Slytherin common room, and away from her.


End file.
